


A Much Needed Break

by PlainHere



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Nen, Fluff, I don't know what I'm doing, Kaito | Kite - Freeform, M/M, Pariston Hill - Freeform, Partying, ging freecs - Freeform, ging is a flirt, ging isn't crusty here, pariston is kite's roommate, this is just a cliche romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28127622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlainHere/pseuds/PlainHere
Summary: "You keep calling him 'the guy'," Kite said. "Do you not know his name?""His name is Ging."Simple as that. Kite had never heard that name before--not around college and not when Pariston brought his loud friends to their dorm. This Ging was someone new. A new name, an unknown face. Ging was a stranger to Kite, and for some reason, this made Kite all the more excited.---At Kite's first college party, he meets someone who makes college just a little more interesting.---Ging/Kite college AU! I kept tags general because as a pantser, I have no idea what I'm doing. If I end up writing smut or a triggering topic, I'll include a tag of it, as well as put it in the notes.Pleeeease read the notes. Especially for the special shorts since I don't have put tags relating to them.The first chapter is a "special short." It's a ging/kite short story that is of no relevance to the actual plot. I will be doing more of these, so expect random shorts throughout this chaos of a book.
Relationships: Ging Freecs & Kaito | Kite, Ging Freecs/Kaito | Kite
Kudos: 7





	1. SPECIAL SHORT (Campfire Comfort)

**Author's Note:**

> First special short! These have no relevance to the actual story, so you can skip it if you want.
> 
> Summary: A day before the hunter exam, Ging and Kite have a peaceful campfire.

"These logs are uncomfortable," said Ging, who sat across from Kite. He frowned as he shifted, squirming on the log in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. When all positions failed to satisfy him, Ging slid to the floor, resting his bottom on the wild grass. He flashed Kite a lopsided smile, but Kite did not return the smile.

Kite stabbed a marshmallow through the end of a stick. He did so gently, as to not tear the marshmallow in half. Ging had bought off-brand, dollar store marshmallows, and after a few failed attempts, Kite knew these marshmallows would only be burnt if treated with precaution. "You're the one who said we didn't need chairs" 

Between them, a fire burned, kept aflame by thick pieces of wood. It was a small fire, one that could not be seen from too far away, but it did its job. The flame rose and fell inconsistently, and whenever the flame would get smaller, Ging would throw in a few sticks to keep it alive. The sun had set hours ago. Now, the two boys sat under the moonlight, eyes on the mild flame, roasting marshmallows as they exchanged minimal conversation. 

"If I knew the wilderness was this uncomfortable," Ging said, "I would have brought a chair. Hey, pass the marshmallow bag!"

Kite tied a knot on the bag before tossing it to Ging, who caught it perfectly. The two of them had fantastic reflexes. After all, quick reflexes were essential if they wanted to pass the Hunter Exam. Tonight was a day before the Hunter Exam was meant to begin, and they had planned to spend it together. For good luck, they had said. 

Ging poked a hole into the bag, ripping it open and sending several marshmallows jolting free of the plastic. As Ging spoke, he plucked the fallen marshmallows from the floor and impaled them with his stick. "It's not nice to throw things." 

"You caught it. I don't see why you're complaining." Kite cringed, watching as Ging removed an ant from the top of a marshmallow before adding it to his marshmallow covered stick. He scrunched his nose, looked away just as Ging took a large bite of his marshmallows. "Also, could you not?"

"Not what?" Ging asked, mouth full, words muffled by the bite of marshmallow. 

"There's a lot of clean marshmallows left! You don't have to eat the ones on the floor! And you're supposed to roast them. That's the whole point of a campfire." 

"Hm? Roast them? I like them like this." 

Kite tilted his head, watching his friend snack on the final marshmallow his stick had impaled. "Have you ever tried roasted marshmallows?" 

Ging shook his head. He waited until he swallowed his bite--thank God, Kite though--before he spoke. "I don't like my food burnt. You want me to give you the marshmallow bag? We still have half left." Ging didn't give Kite time to answer. Instead, he tossed the bag with an underhand throw, careful to not spill any marshmallows. It was especially risky since Ging hadn't tied the bag before tossing it. "Geez, you're too far. The bag's gonna burn one of these times." 

"You can sit with me," Kite said. He hadn't expected to see much of a reaction from Ging. It was a simple request, after all. Still, Ging's face flushed. The proud grin that was always on his face vanished. For just that second, Ging was silent, and Kite worried he had said something wrong. His worries disappeared when Ging stood, smiling. 

Ging sat on the log with Kite. It was a log wide enough to fit the both of them and provide enough space for them to not feel cramped. If they moved too much, though, their knees bumped into each other, and their shoulders brushed. They did their best to keep this from happening. 

"Can you teach me how to roast marshmallows?"

The question came as a surprise to Kite. He'd never heard the words "teach me" from Ging, his mentor, the only reason he was going to go through the Hunter Exam the next day. It was always Kite who said "teach me." Teach me how to be stronger, teach me how to be faster, teach me how to be braver. Even though they were the same age, Kite gave Ging as much respect as he would give anybody else. To hear Ging ask _him_ for help was a strange feeling. Powerful, but not in an arrogant way. This was Ging's way of saying he respected Kite, enough respect to show Kite he still had things to learn. 

"Sure," Kite answered, his voice excited. "I can do that, sure." 

Ging grinned. He reached into the bag, wiggling his fingers through the hole he had punctured until he pulled out a marshmallow. He squished it between his fingers, dove it through the end of his wooden stick, and hovered the stick over the campfire. "Am I doing this right? What if I burn- Oh! Kite, oh no! It slipped!"

The flames consumed the marshmallow which had dropped on the stacks of wood, and Kite failed to hold back a laugh as Ging pulled back his empty stick. Only a sticky line remained as a sign that a marshmallow was once on it. 

Kite grabbed another marshmallow, and Ging held his stick steady as Kite pushed the marshmallow through the stick's sharp end. Kite guided Ging's hand with his own, leveling the stick a safe distance above the fire. 

"Don't point it downwards," Kite instructed. "That's why it slipped last time. Keep it leveled, okay?" 

Ging nodded. His hand was covered by Kite's warm hand, and the feeling of warmth made his heart race. He pretended to stare at the marshmallow which was roasting at a slow pace, but really, his eyes were focused on Kite's pale hands. He'd never noticed before, how soft his best friend's hands looked, and he certainly never noticed how warm they felt. Warmer than the actual campfire, Ging thought, as Kite's large hand guided his own through a clockwise rotation. 

"Now we spin the stick so every part of the marshmallow can become toasted," Kite said. The rotation encouraged their fingers to move in a way that appeared as though they were gently stroking the other's fingers. "It'll be done in a few seconds. It'll be toasty, not burnt. You'll like it." 

Kite's voice was soft, and because he was sitting next to him, Ging could practically hear Kite's voice whisper into his ear. It was as though Kite's words were for him only. The tenderness never shown during training sessions was shown now, and Ging wished to see it more. Kite, happy, speaking of something other than becoming stronger, was a sight so intimate for Ging. They were training buddies and friends, but this was something completely different. 

With the fire's light hitting Kite's face, Ging saw Kite in ways he never saw him before. Here, he was beautiful, soft, and his. His own treasure, a hidden gem only he got to hold. Even if Kite could never be his officially, sitting so close to him, being his mentor, spending the night with him, gave him more than enough privilege to call himself someone special to Kite. This was all Ging needed in life. This was his happiness. 

Kite stopped rotating, and Ging's eyes gazed at Kite in confusion. Kite's hands left Ging's, a moment so disappointing to Ging, but the warmth Kite had given him stayed. 

"That should be enough," said Kite. It took Ging a second to register Kite's words. He had been too deep into his thoughts, pressing a warm hand on his thigh, pretending it was Kite who had his hand on him. When he realized the marshmallow would burn if it kept it over the fire for too long, he flinched and yanked the stick away. The marshmallow was a soft, brown color, crispy around the top, the color of toast. 

As Ging pulled the roasted marshmallow free of the stick, Kite asked, "Do you think I'll do well tomorrow?"

Ging, warm marshmallow in hands, turned to Kite with a sincere gaze. "Of course you will! What, you think I didn't train you enough?"

"It's not that, you trained me better than anyone ever could," Kite said quickly, hoping not to offend Ging. "I just worry. I don't want to disappoint you." 

"You could never disappoint me." _You're a perfect student,_ Ging wanted to add, or perhaps _,_ _you're a perfect friend._ He even considered saying _you're perfect_ , but he wasn't bold enough to say any of the three.

Kite chuckled, raking a hand through his hair. The sizzling of the fire and the noises of the night's creatures were the only sounds the boys heard. A moment passed before Kite spoke again.

"I'm glad we got to have this moment," he said.

Ging smiled. This smile wasn't like the smiles he usually wore. This one was soft, shy. "I'm glad, too."

"Best of luck tomorrow, Ging."

"Best of luck. I can't wait for us to become Hunters together." 


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the start of the story!!
> 
> I'll try to update often

The first semester of the year came to a close, and winter break arrived to ease students of their stress. It was Kite's first semester at college, and to his surprise, he had a smoother time in college than he did when he was in high school. College gave him flexibility with his schedule, privacy, and a taste of freedom he'd never experienced before. Naturally, he earned all A's in his courses, a letter grade he was accustomed to seeing. He had been so invested in his studies, that when Pariston asked him what he planned to do over the break, he was at a loss for words. 

Pariston's lips twitched into a smile. He was always smiling, even when the situation didn't require a smile. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it yet." He and Kite were walking side by side, as they always did, after their final class of the semester. They were free now, at least for a few weeks. "I remember when I was a freshman, I spent every day planning what I'd do. I had a few ideas."

"What did you end up doing?" Kite asked, encouraging the conversation. His hands were covered by fuzzy, black gloves, too tight at his fingertips. If his coat had pockets, he'd remove the tight gloves and use his pockets for warmth instead. Just another problem that came with his height. 

"I didn't really care what I did. I just wanted to do something." Pariston shrugged. From the inside of his flannel's chest pocket, he pulled out a simple coin. He flipped it back and front on his palm, as though giving an example. "I flipped a coin to help me decide. Heads I'd pick on my own. Tails I'd pick whatever option seemed less likely to get me arrested."

 _'You didn't answer the question...'_ Kite wanted to say, but he bit his tongue and kept quiet. Questioning Pariston would only make him speak more, and he knew from past experiences that Pariston would not stop talking until his story was finished. The last time Kite made the mistake of questioning Pariston further, he got no sleep because of Pariston's late night rambling. 

"Anyway, there's a guy in my Criminal Justice class who's throwing a party tonight." 

"A party?" 

Kite had never gone to a party. Before he met Pariston, he had nobody to call a friend. He spent his four high school years alone, focused on his work, and he had intended to keep things the same for college. His luck failed him on his first day of college, when he walked into his assigned dorm and discovered his roommate was as blonde, outspoken guy who never knew when to keep quiet and so happened to be two grades above him. 

Pariston wasn't all too bad. There were moments when he'd wake up Kite as early as five in the morning by reciting a monologue he was supposed to memorize a month ago. Or sometimes, Pariston would bring in his friends, and they'd talk and talk, until Kite eventually had enough and went to the hallway to study. 

Even then, Pariston knew right from wrong. He respected Kite's boundaries, never pressured him to ditch class with him, and at times, Pariston even offered to tutor Kite on his struggle subjects. They got along, for the most part, and Kite learned to appreciate Pariston as his roommate. 

But a party--not even that, a party with Pariston, seemed too much for Kite to handle. He'd seen the type of people Pariston hung out with, and he'd met enough of Pariston's friends to know those people are harder to deal with than Pariston himself. He could only imagine how Pariston and his rowdy friends would act outside of school grounds. 

"It's not a _typical_ party," Pariston explained, as though Kite knew the difference between a typical and an untypical party. 

"In this weather, though?" Kite asked, shivering as he asked. He should have brought an extra coat, or maybe one that actually had pockets. 

"Like I said, it's not a typical party." Pariston's grin widened, his large eyes closing as a cold breeze slapped his face. "I guess it's more of a 'friendly gathering.' At least, that's what the guy told me. It's invite only, but he said I can invite a plus one, so you better feel special." 

"You keep calling him 'the guy'," Kite said. "Do you not know his name?" 

"His name is Ging." 

Simple as that. Kite had never heard that name before--not around college and not when Pariston brought his loud friends to their dorm. This Ging was someone new. A new name, an unknown face. Ging was a stranger to Kite, and for some reason, this made Kite all the more excited. 

"I guess it can't hurt, right?" Kite wasn't sure where this sudden willingness came from. It couldn't have been because the host's name was unknown to him, and he trusted someone he never met better than someone he was familiar with. But the longer he thought about it, the more it made sense. Kite was never too good with connections, but perhaps, a party hosted by a stranger would be give him the right to stay forgotten. He'd be killing two birds with one stone. He could have his fun without worrying about his foolish actions ruining his reputation. 

"So, is that a yes?"

"I guess it is." 

"Come on! Where's the excitement? It's your first party! I promise you'll have fun!" 

Kite's smile grew. It wasn't out of force. Pariston's smile was simply contagious; that was another reason Kite liked hanging out with Pariston. "Fine. I'm excited, really, I am." His smile faded, but the eager twinkle in his eyes stayed. "Was that enough excitement for you?"

Pariston put a finger on his lip. "Hm, could have been louder."

"Oh, shut up."

"I'm kidding! You know I am!" 

They arrived at the dorms shortly after. The apartment was considerably large for a college with low funding, but when someone went inside, they'd realize it wasn't as appealing as it was from the outside. Each apartment contained seven rooms, and each of those seven rooms had barely enough space for the two inhabitants inside. Thin walls, dirty carpets, two restrooms in the entirety of the apartment, and absolutely no cafeteria or vending machines. There was a water fountain in the first floor, but all the students who lived in that apartment knew better than to drink from that fountain. 

Pariston turned the key into the doorknob of his and Kite's assigned dorm-- Dorm #13. An unlucky number, but Pariston swore room 13 was the most bearable out of all. On the third floor, at the end of the floor, with a window view that wasn't blocked by the other towering apartments.

The door squeaked as Pariston pushed it open, and Pariston glanced behind him at Kite, waving his key chain in circles. "Get dressed. We're leaving as soon as Ging texts me." 


End file.
